Antiperspirants and deodorants are common everyday consumables that have been sold for many years and come in several common forms of delivery including aerosol sprays sold in cans, liquids in rollerball, solid stick, and gel form. This is not an exhaustive list as other less popular forms exist.
Advancements which are beneficial to the consumer are largely focused on the chemical formula that is applied on to the skin. This is mostly focused on how effective these products are at stopping perspiration or masking it. There are various formulas available ranging from normal strength formula up to clinical grade formula all aimed at consumers with problem perspiration. The products are normally associated with claims of protecting against perspiration for a given period of time, usually 24 and 48 hours.
Other advancements are to the chemical formula are focused on eliminating/reducing the staining of clothes which is often associated with antiperspirants and less so deodorants. Antiperspirants contain an active ingredient that is used to block the sweat ducts and prevent perspiration. There are different types of active ingredient but most are Aluminum salt based like Aluminum Chloride.
The active ingredients combined with electrolytes in sweat are acidic and it's the acidic nature that stains clothing especially when further reaction with washing detergent takes place. Health concerns associated with ingesting aluminum salts and the potential effects have led to other chemical advancements for alternatives to aluminum.
The one feature that has been short of advancement is that of the chemical formula drying and bonding to the skin. This is somewhat difficult from a chemical perspective because the product is applied to a sensitive part of the body and solutions that would easily improve drying such as an alcohol based formula would cause other problems for the user like skin irritation. Improved drying time has been addressed by the delivery mechanism but this falls a long way short of solving the problem of lengthy drying times. Features of the 4 most common forms are as follows:
Aerosol—very common delivery method that is mainly used in Europe. Aerosol delivery has the benefit of delivering a very thin layer of product and is best associated with quick drying times. Consumers however have less control over the accuracy of delivery due to the nature of a fine mist and also it can be unpleasant when sprayed in confined spaces. Consumer complaints can be fears on inhaling the gas as well as important environmental concerns. Modern aerosols are CFC free but still use other propellants like Propone and Butane, which are classed as VOC's (volatile organic compounds). Different countries have various rules and treatments for these aerosol VOC's with some making it very difficult for manufacturers to offer this format.
Solid Stick—a method developed to address some concerns with drying times. The chemical formula comes in a solid format by the addition of waxes. Although this product when rubbed onto the skin may initially feel drier than a liquid, consumers are faced with other shortfalls Immediate staining of clothes, especially dark garments is very common. The waxes that make the solid form can cause the formula to coagulate together and be difficult to remove even with soaps.
Gel form—A more recent development to improve other product shortfalls. Gels are typically clear so don't give immediate staining, although their active ingredient when combined with sweat will cause staining of clothes. A gel dries quicker than a liquid since it is already in a less liquid form. Despite this, the drying times can be high with 5-10 minutes not uncommon. Delivery mechanisms of gels are typically crude with a form of pressure (plunger) forcing the gel through holes onto an applicator.
Rollerball—This form is most associated with the liquid form of formula. The rollerball is good for keeping the formula airtight and to a degree allows for quite a controlled amount of delivery of formula. Liquid antiperspirant is often reviewed as the most effective. Whilst effectiveness is actually associated with the percentage of the active aluminum (or other) ingredient that makes up the formula because the delivery is a liquid (much like the gel forms) the consumer can perhaps apply this more carefully. Liquid antiperspirants and deodorants delivered in this method still have high drying times, where 5-10 minutes is not uncommon.
Packaging is an environmental concern for many consumers. As antiperspirants and deodorants are mostly disposable items with a high degree of plastics and metals (for aerosols) the safe disposal of these packages is an environmental concern.
Manufacturers of antiperspirants and deodorants are trending towards solutions with less packaging.